There was plenty of outrage this week from the elected members of the three town councils in the county to the news that they were to be disbanded following the end of their current term. The news was announced by Minister for Environment and Local Government, Phil Hogan TD flanked by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and An Táiniste, Eamon Gilmore in Dublin Castle at the launch of Putting People First, Action Programme for Effective Local Government.
In the county town, Independent Councillor Michael Kilcoyne told the Mayo Advertiser: “I think it’s taking democracy away from the people.”
Reform is needed in local government but not just cutting the councils out, Méara of Ballina Cllr Willie Nolan told the Advertiser, “I’m all in favour of reform, but proper reform with a view to giving councils accountability and proper powers. We have no problem with actual reforms and efficiencies being brought in, if there are nine people on a town council maybe five people would be enough, but let them have the power to do what the need to.”
At Ballina Town Council’s monthly meeting this week, Independent Cllr Gerry Ginty called on Minister Phil Hogan to resign, while Fianna Fáil Cllr Johnny O’Malley hit out at Minister Hogan’s description of what being a councillor was like for him, saying: “Phil Hogan said that he was on a council for 20 years and all they did was strike a budget each year and do a development plan every five years. Well if that’s all he did, he failed as a councillor and shame on him.”
One of the major concerns that both men expressed was that the rates that were collected in the town will no longer stay in the town. Cllr Nolan explained: “The money that was raised in Ballina stayed in Ballina, that won’t happen now it’ll all go into a big central pot and be spread out from there, but it doesn’t mean what’s collected here will come back here, and that’s the same for Westport and Castlebar also.”
The same view was expressed at last week’s Westport Town Council meeting with Cllr Myles Staunton telling that meeting: “In the event that the town council becomes extinct money paid in rates will no longer be ring fenced for Westport town to cater for facilities,” and instead will go “into the back hole of the Mayo County Council budget”. While at Wednesday night’s Ballina Town Council meeting, independent Cllr Peter Clarke said: “We’ll be governed by Castlebar and they’ll be setting the rates for the businesses in the town and we’ll have very little say in it.”
Cllr Kilcoyne said that having a council and mayor in a town gives a good impression to visiting groups. Cllr Nolan agreed with this sentiment adding: “It’s about representing the people as a the first citizen and representing the town. That’s why people invite the Méara to events, even in the smallest town in the US they have a mayor.”
A number of councillors this week have said that people should remember the good done by town councils. Ballina’s Cllr Johnny O’Malley explained: “We’ve done a lot of good, I propose that a list of all the projects that Ballina Town Council has been involved in over the past 10 years be compiled and read into the record before the next meeting to show what we’ve done.” While at the Westport Town Council meeting Cathaoirleach Ollie Gannon, said that every council should be judged on its merits: “We are letting the minister know that we are not taking this lying down.” Cllr Tereasa McGuire said that Westport is one of the “most successful town councils” and if the town council goes there will be no voice for local people, which would be the “real tragedy”. It was not just Fine Gael members in Westport who expressed their opposition to the closure of the town councils, with Cllr Barry McLoughlin in Ballina adding: “I don’t think this is a good idea. I won’t toe the party line on this one. I’m sure I’ll get a wrap on the knuckles from party headquarters on this. I agree reform was necessary, but I don’t think the effect of this will be seen until the councils are gone.”
